Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-10-21
Especial Correspondence


Especial Correspondence
NEw YORK, Oct. 13.-Whcn left New
York to journey around the world on q
bicycle l didn't know a dozen words OF
any language bot English. Unaccustomed
as l was at that time to the graphic Ian
guagc of gesture and pantomime found
myself rs helpless as the babes in the
wood the first night 1 spent in France.
Necessity is fGiI hful tutor, however, and
L soon grew proficient in the art of max
Ing myself understood by signs. Dy the
| time l finished up my tour at Yokohama T
had gesticulated my eventful way through
sixteen different countries, the language
Of which l knew absolutely nothing of
when entered them and precious little
when came out.
All through civilized European conn
| tries one can manage to make himself I'M
deFstood pretty easily, and the people are
reasonably intelligent in reply. Moreover,
| the sign language seems to come more
natural to many continental people than it
does among ourselves. They are more
| given TO gesticulating among themselves
when they talk than we are. As one an
| proachcs the more barbarous countries of
the east the natives are found expressing
themselves in stranger ways, and one be-
gins to realize that he is among o]ien
races In crossing Europe from London
to ConstaEtinople | remember Roumeli.
aS~-ic country where | suddenly found
myself one day among q people who shook
theli heads when they meant Eyes" and
hodded when they meant mo" ONLY in
the charming valley Of the Martha, after
crossing the Kodja Balkans from BULGARIA..
ooes TINS unique custom seem to prevail,
lnp vi nsy .
countercd it no more. 1t is easy enouoh
70 imagine the bewildcrment caused Mt
first by this sudden and unexpected re-
Sersal OF what one had been accus
toned to all his life. The first time
happened to fall in with this
popularity was at q place called Tartar
i5azardJlk' where l attempted to buy some
pears CT fruit vcndcr on the street
When ! intinlatcd my wish to sample his
wares tho man solemnly shock his head.
wondering somewhat at his supposed I'M
Willingness TO sell, passed on. The man
called me back, held up big, fine pear
ana shook his head vigorously in token, rs
still thought, that he didn't want to sell
them. Soon | met another mcivahjcc and
proposed buying pears of him. He also
set down his ba"kc and induced in tbo
pantomilne which, to me, had ALWAYS in
d!cated negative The repetition opened
my eyes, and during the process of max
Ing change l discovered that n Incentive
WAS furthermore to lie interpreted by n
nod. On tho road beyond | tested The
matter still farther by pointing to the
pilded n!narcts Of phlipopolis, visible in
the distance ahead, and asking n native
traveller if that was Philpopolis. The
Rnlmcii,-a pointed in the same direction
d.d, ana shook his head by way of con-
hrmation
One soon becomes accustomed to this
pcculiarlty in others; but to acquire the
same habit ones self is matter of some
LITTLE time and perseverance. was onlv
In the Martha valley two or three DAYS,
md remember Sundry lutlicrous incidents
MS the result OF mutual misapprehe nsion
between myself and the natives. Some
times, when III their very natural icno-
rance of my capabilities on the b;cyclc-
they would request me TO ride in some i'm
possible place, would shake nv head in
token OF disapproval, and in explanation
OF the impracticability of their request.
This, OF course, would signify Just the
contrary to them, and the crowd would
come sWarming around in happy expect
ancy, delighted at what they considered
ny willingness to oblire The ridiculous
ness OF my situation under these unhuppy
u.
When the Turks, finding me quite as
unspcckablc Gs we are accustomed To
charge Mt their own door, wanted me to
favor them with an exhibition on the
wheel they would emphasize their cries
Il bin, hin" eide, ride by Gtraddlinr
he middle md index fingers of the right
laai over their left hanl fingers or wrist
IhS simple sign conveys to the Turkish
mind the figure of II man bcstrding the
saddle OF horse, or, il my case b.cycle,
10 signify money i'll Turkey the fingers
are punched up together. In Armenia
and the eastern territory of Asiatic Turkey
the thumb and foreinger are made to
represent a disk e., Il coin. To ask Won
whether you are thirsty and want u drink
ct water the Turk goes through the pam
tomime OF dipping water from q brook in
the hollow OF one hand and conveying it
TO his mouth. InacQuainted with knife
ana 1ork as articles to use in the manipu-
lation Of food the Turk is u very fair H.
lustrntion Of the axiom that fingers were
made before these articles When, there.
fore, he wishes to know whether his guest
IS hungry, hc spreads his fingers in proper
shape for dipping down into dish of rice
plIlau, and scocping up nm imaginary
handfui, rolls II deXterouSly into an mag
mary sizablc ball. the proper shape for
Z,
being n stranger In strange land, and
mysliilcd ut these shadowy pro-
ccedinGs, fails by this to comprehend the
tenor of the Turks pantomine he com.
pletes the taLlcau By opening his mouth,
popping the imaginary pin CT ball in and
swallowing it.
When the Turk wants you to under
stand that he is friendly and desires YOU
to consider him and yourself, metaphor
lcally speaking, brothers, he lays his fore
fingers side by side and says ''kardash."
When the Turkish soldier, or zaptich, sa-
!1tes his superior upon entering the room,
or retiring after receiving orders, he
touches his hand first to his lips, then to
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